2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
LRB-1275/1
ARG:cdc&amn
2019 ASSEMBLY BILL 456
September 18, 2019 - Introduced by Representatives KITCHENS, ALLEN, DUCHOW,
MACCO, KRUG, KULP, SPIROS, TUSLER and DITTRICH, cosponsored by Senators
OLSEN, BERNIER and FEYEN. Referred to Committee on Education.
1 AN ACT to create 20.255 (2) (bt) and 115.448 of the statutes; relating to: grants
2 for feasibility studies of school district consolidation or whole grade sharing and
3 making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to award grants of up
to $10,000 each to consortia of school districts to be used for a professional financial
analysis of how school district consolidation or entering into a whole grade sharing
agreement would affect the school districts.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
4 SECTION 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
5 the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
 2019 - 2020 Legislature -2- LRB-1275/1
ARG:cdc&amn
ASSEMBLY BILL 456 SECTION 1
2019-20 2020-21
1 20.255 Public instruction, Department of
2 (2) AIDS FOR LOCAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
3 (bt) Grants for feasibility studies of
4 consolidation or whole grade
5 sharing GPR C 250,000 -0-
6 SECTION 2. 20.255 (2) (bt) of the statutes is created to read:
7 20.255 (2) (bt) Grants for feasibility studies of consolidation or whole grade
8 sharing. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for the grant
9 program under s. 115.448.
10 SECTION 3. 115.448 of the statutes is created to read:
11 115.448 Grants for feasibility studies of consolidation or whole grade
12 sharing. (1) In this section, “eligible applicant” means an applicant for a grant
13 under this section that is a consortium of 2 or more school boards.
14 (2) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (bt), the department shall
15 award grants to eligible applicants to fund feasibility studies of school district
16 consolidation or whole grade sharing agreements under s. 118.50. The department
17 may not award a grant to an eligible applicant in an amount exceeding $10,000.
18 (b) An eligible applicant receiving a grant under this section shall use the grant
19 moneys for a professional financial analysis of how school district consolidation or
20 entering into a whole grade sharing agreement under s. 118.50 would affect the
21 school districts associated with the eligible applicant.
22 (END)